Protective device for clothesline pulley



June ,1959 A; c. ANGELICO 2,889,053

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR CLOTHESLINE PULLEY Filed Dec. 12, 1955 INVENTOR. Acme C. i l/{9621,60

ATTORNEYS United States Patent PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR CLOTHESLINE PULLEY Argie C. Angelica, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,386

4 Claims. (Cl. 211119.02)

This invention relates to a protective device and more particularly to a protective cover for a clothesline pulley.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to support an out door clothesline of the endless reeling type on a pair of specially supported, exposed pulleys. As a result, the pulleys were subjected to the elements of weather causing the same to rust, corrode and deteriorate. Inevitably, the rust, corrosion and deterioration in time so affected the operation of the pulley that oftentimes it became quite an effort on the part of the housewife to reel the line. This condition was particularly aggravated when the clothesline was weighted by a load of wash and the like. If the pulleys are rusted or corroded, there is present the added hazard of the possibility of a housewife seriously straining or injuring herself in attempting to reel a line supportedon such rusted pulleys.

Further, the rusting and corroding greatly weakened the structure of the pulleys. Not infrequently, the bracket supporting the pulley would rust and corrode to such an extent that it could no longer support the weight of the line and wash. As a result, the bracket would fail causing the line to collapse, invariably ruining the entire wash. By collapse of the line, the housewife was further inconvenienced by being left without a line until the defective pulley was replaced.

Where reel type clotheslines are utilized on multi-story dwellings and elevated at great height, the collapse of a line due to a rusted pulley produced added hazards. Not only was there present the danger of fouling the lower lines etc., but the risk in replacing the pulley was oftentimes great in that invariably an inexperienced climber was generally called upon to scale the pole to replace the defective pulley.

Further, the exposure of the pulleys to the elements greatly reduced the useful life of the same.

According to this invention, it is an object to overcome the above disadvantages by providing a novel housing or closure member capable of encasing a clothesline pulley to protect and shield the same from the weather elements, thereby greatly reducing the rate at which the pulley rusted or deteriorated. Thus, the useful life thereof is greatly extended.

This is accomplished by the present invention by providing for a transparent casing or cover having at least one open end to receive the pulley. To prevent the line from frictionally engaging and wearing against the open end of the housing when weighted and reeled, there is provided a capstan-shaped roller means, the latter further maintaining the weighted line in vertical alignment with the pulleys. Means are further provided whereby the bracket can be readily supported on a suitable supporting surface.

A feature of this invention resides in its relative simplicity and practical application of the novel casing.

Another feature of this invention resides in that the novel casing is relatively inexpensive, simple in construction and positive in operation.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provip 2,889,053 Patented June 2, 1959 sion that the novel protective cover greatly increases the useful life of the conventional type clothesline pulley.

Still another feature of this invention resides in the provision that the casing is constructed of a transparent material so that the condition of the pulley is readily ascertainable by visual inspection thereof.

Another feature of this invention resides in the capstanshaped roller member which facilitates reeling of a loaded line, and further maintaining the line in alignment, thereby preventing fouling of the same.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the manner in which the protective pulley casing of the present invention is utilized with an outdoor, endless reeling type clothesline.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the pulley casing.

Fig. 3 is a 'front view of the pulley and pulley casing.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of the novel pulley casing.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates the outdoor, endless reeling type of clothesline 10 supported by a pair of spacially supported pulleys 11 and 12, which are generally alike in structure. Generally, one of the pulleys (11) is secured to a side 13 of a dwelling so that the portion of the clothesline supported thereon is within accessible reach of the housewife, and the other pulley (12) is generally supported on a pole 14 remotely positioned from the dwelling. Usually, the pulleys commonly used comprise an aluminum or galvanized wheel and a U-shaped bracket 15 to which the wheel is rotatably mounted by pin 16. Pulleys of this type are generally supported on a supporting surface as illustrated in Fig. l by a book 17 which extends upwardly through the bracket 15. Because the brackets 15 support the entire weight of the line and wash thereon, the bracket portion of the pulley is generally formed of a ferrous material or alloy to provide the necessary strength. Therefore, if the pulleys were simply exposed to the weather, as was the practice heretofore, without protective covering, the bracket portion would soon rust and deteriorate. Therefore, not only was the structure thereof materially weakened, but also the reeling of the clothesline became quite an effort because the pin 16 likewise rusted. Reeling became further aggravated when a load of wash was hung on the line.

According to this invention, to avoid such difficulties, a novel casing or housing 18 is provided to shield the pulleys and to protect the same from the elements. While the novel casing of the present invention may take any suitable shape, as shown in Figs. 1-4, the casing consists of a pair of spaced side walls 19 having disposed therebetween a top wall 20 and bottom Wall 21 to form a substantially rectangular structure. One end of the housing is closed by an end wall 22 having an aperture 23 therein through which the book 17 supporting the pulleys may extend, the other end 24 of the housing being opened for readily receiving or removing the pulley.

While the housing 18 may be constructed from any suitable material, the illustrated form of the invention depicts a housing formed of a transparent. plastic or the like which can be readily molded as an integral unit or assembled from separable elements. When the housing is made of a transparent material, it is apparent that the condition of the pulley may be readily ascertained by a simple visual inspection of the same.

When a load of wash is hung on the lower strand 10a of the clothesline, it will be noted that the weight thereof will tend to pull the lower strand 10a of the line downwardly. Therefore, in order to prevent the lower strand a of the line adjacent the pulley from frictionally engaging or wearing against the edge 21a of the bottom wall 21, there is provided a capstan-shaped roller 25 which is rotatably connected between the side walls 19 of the housing. Hence, when the lower strand 10a is weighted by a load of wash, the line will engage the roller thereby eliminating friction and wear of the lower strand on the edge 21a and further, the roller 25 greatly facilitates the reeling of the line under a load.

The capstan or concave-shaped roller 25 further facilitates in maintaining the lower strand 10a in alignment with the pulleys, thereby tending to eliminate fouling of the line on the pulleys. This is accomplished by the fact that when the line is weighted by a wash or the like, the lower strand adjacent the roller will ride or frictionally engage the portion 25a of the roller. Thus, lateral displacement of the line is discouraged, and the strand 1001 will tend to remain in vertical alignment with the pulley. Thus, fouling of the line by becoming free of the pulley is controlled.

In order that the housing 18 may be readily attached to a supporting surface, upper and lower projecting flanges 22a, 2212 respectively, as shown, are provided with integrally formed extensions of the end wall 22 and suit able fasteners 26 extend through the apertures 27 in the flanges for securing the casing 18 to the supporting surface.

Therefore, it will be noted that the new and novel housing completely encloses the pulley therein, and thereby protects the pulley, bracket and hook supporting the same from the effects of the weather acting thereon. As a result, rusting, corroding or deterioration of the components of the pulley is greatly reduced, thereby material 1y increasing the useful life of the pulley.

Further, the pivot pin 16 about which the pulley rotates is rendered substantially rust-free, thereby insur ing ease of operation. As a result, a housewife need only to apply the usual amount of effort in reeling the line whether loaded or unloaded; consequently, potential injury due to excessive strain is eliminated.

Thus, according to this invention, the novel housing is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and practical in operation.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A protective device comprising a clothesline pulley having a supporting means connected thereto, a housing for encasing said clothesline pulley to shield the same against rust and/or deterioration due to the action of the weather thereon, said housing having at least one open end to facilitate the positioning and/or removal of the pulley therein, means in an end of said housing opposed to said open end through which said supporting means extends to independently mount said pulley with 4 respect to said housing and a roller means connected to said housing adjacent the open end thereof to prevent a clothesline carried by said pulley from frictionally engaging and wearing against the open end of said housing when said line is weighted and reeled.

2. A protective device comprising a plastic housing, including a pair of spaced side walls, a top wall and bottom wall connected to said side walls and an end wall connected to said top, bottom and side walls to close the end thereof; a clothesline pulley having a supporting means connected thereto disposed in a vertical plane between said side walls, said pulley having its axis spaced inwardly of said housing from the edge of said bottom wall directed away from said end wall said end wall having an aperture for receiving said supporting means for the pulley to independently mount the same relative said housing; and means for receiving a fastener by which said housing is secured to a suitable supporting surface.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said housing is provided with a roller means adjacent the outer edge of said bottom wall for the purpose of preventing a clothesline carried by said pulley from frictionally engaging and wearing on the outer edge of said bottom wall when said line is weighted and reeled.

4. A protective device comprising a transparent plastic housing including a pair of spaced side Walls, a top Wall and bottom wall connected to said side walls, an end wall connected to said top, bottom and side walls to close an end thereof; a clothesline pulley having a supporting means removably connected thereto vertically disposed between said side walls with its axis spaced inwardly of said housing from the edge of said bottom wall directed away from said end wall; said end wall having an aperture for receiving said supporting means for said pulley to independently mount the same relative said housing and flange means formed integral with said end wall extending above and below said top and bottom walls for receiving a fastener by which said housing is secured to a suitable supporting surface; and a capstan roller adjacent the outer edge of said bottom wall for the purpose of preventing a clothesline carried by said pulley from frictionally engaging and wearing on the outer edge of said bottom wall when said line is weighted and reeled and for maintaining said line in vertical alignment with said pulley when loaded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,043 Ecker Apr. 5, 1898 692,864 Lantz Feb. 11, 1902 830,804 Schoenebeck Sept. 11, 1906 1,567,842 Haller et al. Dec. 25, 1925 2,460,088 Hutchings Jan. 25, 1949 2,649,970 Broz Aug. 25, 1953 

